Potato-harvest machine.



J. O. THORSEN.

POTATO HARVEST MACHINE.

APPLIOATION I'ILIBD MAY 26, 1910.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

v 1 l I t r y Q 2 Q \m /M s MN THE mmms PETERS cm, wnsmmrrom n. c,

J; 0. THORSEN. POTATO HARVEST MAUHINE. APPLICATION FILED Mn 26, 1910.

Patented 001;. 18,1910.

R mm Lwm M Zhwsses MMW fl darn/eye:

1n: NORRIS PETERS co.. WASHINGTON, n c.

J. O. THORSEN.

POTATO HARVEST MACHINE.

APPLICATION rum MAY 26, 1910.

973,318 I Patented 0 1;. 18,1910.

3 SHEETS-11112! 3.

JENS OLAF THORSEN, OF AALBORG, DENMARK.

POTATO-HARVEST MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Application filed May 26, 1910. Serial No. 563,655.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ENS OLAI THORSEN, farmer, subject of the Kingdomof Denmark, residing at Aalborg, Denmark, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Potato-Harvest Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention has for its object a potato harvest machine of the socalled sieveor screen-system, in which the earth and potatoes loosenedby a plow are conveyed to a sieve or other shaking device, whichseparates the earth from the potatoes and lays aside the latter.

The invention is characterized by a device operated from the wheel shaftand having an alternately downward and rearward and upward and forwardmovement, which device is mounted above the plow and the screen mounteddirectly behind the plow, in such a manner that during its downward andrearward motion the device takes the earth and potatoes, loosened by theplow, from above and conveys said earth and potatoes over the plow tothe screen, whereupon it leaves again the earth and goes ahead for newwork.

Further the invention is characterized by means whereby the front-wheelscan be adjusted by a lever arranged at the rear end of the machine insuch a manner that by the operation of said lever the plow can be liftedor lowered.

A constructional form of the invention is shown in the drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 shows a side view of a potato harvest machine inaccordance with the invention; the front side of the frame and someother parts are cut away; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine; Fig. 3 atransverse section of the machine, and Fig. 4 a plan view of the screen.

The different parts of the machine are mounted in a frame 31 providedwith bearings 30 for the shaft 24L of the driving wheels 23 and beingsupported by means of front wheels and rear wheels 25, the shafts ofwhich can be lifted or lowered in such a manner, that by lifting saidshafts the frame 31 can be lifted so much, that the driving wheels arefree from the soil when the machine is not working.

The frame 31 has bearings 28 and 29 for two crank shafts 1 and 2connected together by means of a chain 21 and chain wheels. The shaft 1is rotated from the driving wheels by means of pinions 7, 8 and 9, thepinions 7 being fixed to the driving wheels. The crank shafts carry aframe which consists of two side pieces 11 and transverse pieces 19which latter carry curved downwardly projecting teeth 18 which have sucha length and inclination, that during the lower half of the rotation ofthe cranks they scrape the plow and the screen arranged be low.Counterweights 20 are fixed to the ends of the crank shaft 1, balancingthe cranks and thereby giving the shafts an equal motion.

The plow which consists of a share 3 and a moldboard 4 is fixed to theframe 31 by means of tiebands 5 and 6. The screen 12 is suspended inlinks 22 and has its rear end connected to a crank shaft 32 by means ofa link. The crank shaft 32 is rotated from the pinions 7 by means ofpinions 33 fixed to the ends of the crank shaft, so that the screen isoperated when the machine is working.

The shaft 34 of the rear wheels 25 is mounted in a frame 35, which canbe lifted or lowered by means of a lever 26, so that by turning saidlever the driving wheels 23 can be lifted free from the soil when themachine is not working.

The shaft of the front wheels 25 is fixed to a vertical shaft 17 whichmay slide in a guide 36 at the front end of the frame 31 and which ispivotally connected to a bent lever 15, mounted in bearings in the frame31 and connected by means of a rodand chain-connection to a lever 13,arranged in the rear end of the machine, in such a man ner that byturning said lever the front end of the machine can be lifted or loweredand thereby the plow can be lifted free of the earth or adjusted to workin the desired depth, in which latter position it is fixed by means of aring 16 inserted upon the vertical shaft 17 and held in the desiredposition by means of a screw.

The operation of the machine is as follows: lVhen the crank shafts 1 and2 are rotated theteeth-carrying frame is alternately moved downward andrearward and upward and forward. Under the downward and rearwardmovement the teeth take from above the earth and potatoes loosened bythe plow and convey said earth and potatoes over the plow to the screen,which separates the earth from the potatoes and lays aside the latter.During the upward and forward motion the teeth leave again the earth andgo ahead for new work.

The teeth are of a yielding material, which allows them to yield againststones or the like which may be contained in the earth.

The construction shown and described of course may be varied indifferent manners Without departing from the invention.

Claims.

1. In a potato digger, the combination with a frame, of supportingwheels carried at each terminal thereof, a main driving shaft located onsaid frame adjacent to one terminal thereof, driving wheels rigidlymounted on said shaft adapted to engage the ground and rotate said shaftwhen said device is in use, a pair of crank shafts located adjacent tosaid wheel, a frame adapted to be moved alternately rearwardly anddownwardly and forwardly and upwardly, a series of downwardly extendingfingers carried by said frame, means whereby said shafts may be rotatedfrom said driving wheel, a screen located adjacent to said fingers, andmeans whereby the potatoes may be removed from the ground.

2. In a potato digger, the combination with a frame, of an oscillatingscreen carried thereby, means for removing the potatoes from the groundcarried adjacent to said screen, a main driving shaft carried by saidframe, a driving wheel carried at each extremity of said shaft adaptedto bite into the ground and rotate said shaft, a pair of crank shaftsdisposed above said plow, means whereby said crank shafts may be rotatedby said driving shaft, a frame carried by said crank shafts adapted toalternately move downwardly and rearwardly and forwardly and upwardlythereby conveying potatoes from the plow to the screen, and a series ofdownwardly extending fingers carried by said frame.

3. In a potato digger, the combination with a frame, of an oscillatingscreen carried thereby, means for removing the potatoes from the groundcarried adjacent to said screen, a main driving shaft carried by saidframe, a driving wheel carried at each extremity of said shaft adaptedto bite into the ground and rotate said shaft, a pair of crank shaftsdisposed above said plow, means whereby said crank shafts may be rotatedby said driving shaft, a frame carried by said crank shafts adapted toalternately move downwardly and rearwardly and forwardly and upwardlythereby conveying potatoes from the plow to the screen, and acounterweight carried at each terminal of one of said crank shaftsadapted to regulate the motion of said frame.

4. In a potato digger, the combination witha main supporting frame, ofan oscillating screen carried thereby, a plow carried,

adjacent to said screen adapted to project into the ground, a drivingshaftcarried by said frame adjacent to said screen, a driving wheelcarried at eachextremity of said shaft adapted to bite into the groundand rotate said shaft, a gear located on said shaft adjacent to eachdriving wheel, a plurality of bearing brackets mounted on said frameadjacent to said plow and crank shafts mounted in each bearing pair ofsaid brackets, a train of gears adapted to rotate said crank shafts, aframe carried by said crank shafts adapted to move alternatelydownwardly and rearwardly and upwardly and forwardly upon rotation ofsaid crank shafts, and a series of downwardly extending resilientfingers carried by said oscillating frame adapted to force the potatoesfrom the plow into the screen.

5. In a potato digger, the combination with a main supporting frame, ofan oscillating screen carried thereby, a plow carried adjacent to saidscreen adapted to project into the ground, a driving shaft carried bysaid frame adjacent to said screen, a driving wheel carried at eachextremity of said shaft adapted to bite into the ground and rotate saidshaft, a gear located on said shaft adjacent to each driving wheel, aplurality of bearing brackets mounted on said frame adjacent to saidplow and crank shafts mounted in each bearing pair of said brackets, atrain of gears adapted to rotate said crank shafts, a frame carried bysald crank shafts 6. In a potato digger, the combination with a mainsupporting frame, of adjustable supporting wheels carried at eachextremity thereof, a main driving shaft located adjacent to one terminalof said frame, a driving wheel carried at each end of said shaft andadapted to bite into the ground and rotate said shaft, a gear located ateach end of said shaft, adjacent to each driving wheel, a screenpivotally mounted below said driving shaft, a crank shaft mounted onsaid frame adjacent to one terminal thereof, a link con necting saidcrank shaft with said screen, and a gear carried at each terminal ofsaid crank shaft adapted to mesh with said driving shaft.

7 In a potato digger, the combination with a main supporting frame, ofadjustable supporting wheels carried at each extremity thereof, a maindriving shaft located adj acent to one terminal of said frame, a drivingwheel carried at each end of said shaft and adapted to bite into theground and rotate said shaft, a gear located at each end of said shaftadjacent to each driving wheel, a screen pivotally mounted below saiddriving shaft, a crank shaft mounted on said frame adjacent to oneterminal thereof, a link connecting said crank shaft with said screen, astationary plow located adjacent to one terminal of said frame, apair ofbearing brackets, located above said plow, crank shafts mounted in saidbearings, an oscillating frame carrying downwardly extending resilientteeth mounted on said crank shafts, and means whereby said crank shaftsmay rotate by said driving gear.

8. In a potato digger, the combination with a main supporting frame, ofadjustable supporting wheels carried at each extremity thereof, a maindriving shaft located adjacent to one terminal of said frame, a drivingWheel carried at each end of said shaft and adapted to bite into theground and rotate said shaft, a gear located at each end of said shaftadjacent to each driving wheel, a screen pivotally mounted below saiddriving shaft, a crank shaft mounted on said frame adjacent to oneterminal thereof, a link connecting-said crank shaft with said screen, astationary plow located adjacent to one terminal of said frame, a pairof bearing brackets located above said plow, crank shafts mounted insaid bearings, an oscillating frame carrying downwardly extendingresilient teeth mounted on said crank shafts, a train of gears meshingwith said driving gears adapted to rotate the adjacent crank shaft,means whereby the remaining crank shaft may be driven from last namedcrank shaft, and counterweights mounted on each end of the crank shaftoperated by said driving gears.

9. In a potato digger, the combination with a frame of wheels carriedthereby, means whereby said frame may be raised or lowered with respectto said wheels, power transmission wheel carried by said frame adaptedto be raised therewith, an oscillatory screen disposed below said frame,means for removing potatoes from the ground, and means for deliveringpotatoes from last named means to said screen.

In testimony whereof I, JnNs OLAF THOR- SEN, have signed my name to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 11thday of May 1910.

JENS OLAF THORSEN.

Witnesses MARCUS MoLLER, CHRE GoR'rENAR.

